Teacher Center · Career and money

Certification and CTLE

Keep your certificate valid: what to do in TEACH, how many CTLE hours you need, what counts, who can give hours, and how to track them.

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Your union contract, your district's plan documents and your retirement system decide the details for you. Before any decision about money, leave, retirement or your certificate, ask your building union representative, district human resources (or the benefits office), NYSTRS, or NYSED, as the page says. Facts here were checked Nov 7, 2026 from the official sources listed at the bottom. Example numbers marked FICTIONAL are made up to teach the math; they are not anyone's real pay.

New: a full professional development section. Professional development to keep your certificate (rules, timeline, workshops) · where to earn CTLE hours (all 37 BOCES, teacher centers, NYSUT, RBERNs) · private hour tracker · 6 worked scenarios.

1. NY certificate types in short

Certificate types
Certificate	How long	What it means for you
Initial	Valid 5 years	Entry-level certificate. Within those 5 years, earn the Professional certificate. No registration or CTLE needed while you hold only Initial.
Professional	Kept valid by registration + CTLE	The next level. You must register every five years and complete 100 CTLE hours in each registration period.
Permanent	Good for life unless revoked	Older certificate type. No CTLE, but you must register if you practice in a NY public school, BOCES or nonpublic school.
Teaching Assistant Level III / Professional TA	Registration + CTLE	Same 100-hour CTLE requirement as Professional teachers. Registration and CTLE apply to the new TA Professional certificate as of Oct 1, 2025.

Moving from Initial to Professional (NYSED)

Complete three years of teaching experience.
One of those years must be mentored if you work in a public or charter school.
Complete a master's degree that is related, or a program that leads to an additional certificate.
Apply for the Professional certificate in TEACH, and ask your district HR to enter your three years of experience and the mentoring statement into TEACH. NYSED does not accept self-reported experience.

If your Initial is about to expire before you finish, NYSED lists reissuance options. NYSED Professional certificate · Initial certificate (checked Nov 7, 2026).

2. Registration every five years

Who registers: holders of Professional, Permanent or Level III / Professional TA certificates who practice in a NY public school district, BOCES or nonpublic school.
When: people first certified on or after July 1, 2016 are registered automatically; the period runs until the last day of the month before your birth month in the 5th year. You re-register in TEACH during that window.
"Practicing" means employed 90 days or more in a school year by one applicable school (paid days count) (8 NYCRR §80-6.1).
Not working in a NY school? You may choose Registered - Inactive; while inactive you are not subject to CTLE. Register again before you return.
Late or missing registration: the regulation sets a late fee of $10 a month (NYSED says it is not enforcing this fee for now), and willful failure to register may lead to a moral character review (8 NYCRR §80-6.2).
Short of CTLE hours at the end? You may request conditional registration in TEACH: one extra year to finish, not renewable without good cause (NYSED re-registration).
Inactive part of the period? You owe 20 CTLE hours for each year you practiced; less than a year is not prorated (NYSED: number of CTLE hours).

Step by step in TEACH

Sign inGo to TEACH Online Services (my.ny.gov) and sign in with your NY.gov ID.
Check your recordOpen your account information. Look at your certificates, registration status and period dates, and the Workshops section (mandated reporter, DASA).
Fix your profileName or address changes must be reported in TEACH within 30 days.
Re-register on timeThe window opens six months before your period ends (TEACH emails you 6, 3 and 1 month before). In your re-registration window, follow the TEACH prompts to register (or choose inactive if you are not practicing in NY).
Keep your CTLE proofYou do not upload CTLE hours to NYSED, but you must show them if NYSED asks. Use the log in section 5, or the private CTLE hour tracker.

3. CTLE: the 100 hours

CTLE rules
Rule	Details
How many hours	100 clock hours in each five-year registration period. One requirement per person, no matter how many certificates. Hours cannot be carried over to the next period.
Language acquisition (ELLs)	At least 15% (15 hours) for most Professional teachers, school leaders and Level III TAs; at least 50% (50 hours) for Professional ESOL and Bilingual Extension holders. Teachers in schools with an approved CR Part 154 exemption (fewer than 30 ELLs or ELLs under 5% of enrollment) may be exempt from this part for those years; the exemption does not lower the 100 hours.
What counts	Activities in the content area of any certificate you hold, pedagogy, and language acquisition for English language learners, from a NYSED-approved sponsor. Must aim to improve teaching and student learning.
College courses	Count only if the college is an approved CTLE sponsor and awards CTLE hours: 1 semester hour = 15 CTLE hours; 1 quarter hour = 10.
Other activities	1 CTLE hour = at least 60 minutes. Micro-credentials count when offered by an approved sponsor.
Mentoring	At the district's or BOCES's choice: up to 30 hours per period for mentoring a new teacher; up to 25 for mentoring a student teacher.
Peer evaluators	Peer reviewers who observe under §3012-d may count that time.
National Board Certification	Meets the CTLE requirement for the period in which you earn it, as long as you also meet the language acquisition part.
Speech and language (SLD) certificate	ASHA-approved courses count: 1 ASHA CEU = 10 CTLE hours.
Does NOT count	Activities only for personal development, marketing, business practices or profit.
Good cause	NYSED may adjust hours or the deadline for documented good cause, such as poor health certified by a provider or extended active military duty.

NYSED CTLE · Language acquisition table · 8 NYCRR §80-6.3 · Registration and CTLE chart (checked Nov 7, 2026).

4. Approved sponsors and where to find hours

Only hours from a NYSED-approved CTLE sponsor count. Sponsors can include school districts, BOCES, teacher centers, accredited colleges, professional organizations and unions (NYSED names NYSUT and UFT), government agencies and others NYSED approves. Check any provider in NYSED's searchable list of approved CTLE sponsors. Each sponsor must give you a certificate of completion with its name and sponsor number, the activity title, date, area (content, pedagogy or English language learning) and hours.

CTLE sources
Source	Cost (check first)	Tip
Your district's own professional learning (superintendent's conference days, after-school sessions)	Usually offered to employees during work time; ask	Ask HR or the professional learning office how CTLE is recorded and how you get certificates.
Your area's BOCES (all 37 are listed)	Often paid by your district through BOCES services; ask	Ask your principal how to enroll and whether your district covers the fee.
Your district or area teacher center	Often free or a small fee; ask	Teacher centers can be approved sponsors.
NYSUT professional learning (ELT and others)	Fees vary	Check if your local or district reimburses.
Colleges (graduate courses)	Tuition	Also counts for lane changes if your contract allows; get pre-approval.
Mentoring a new teacher or student teacher	Free	Up to 30 or 25 hours per period, at the district's choice.

Always confirm the provider is on the NYSED list before you start. Goal100 is not a CTLE sponsor.

5. Keep records (and a printable log)

Keep your own records for at least three years after the end of the registration period. For each activity, NYSED lists: title; total hours; hours in content, pedagogy and language acquisition; sponsor name and number; your identifying information; attendance proof; date and location. NYSED offers a sample record-keeping form and a sample certificate of completion. A list printed from a professional learning system is not enough if NYSED asks; keep the certificates.

Printable CTLE log (one five-year registration period)

Type hours as numbers. Keep each sponsor's certificate of completion with this log for at least three years after the period ends.

My registration period (from TEACH): start and end dates

Date	Activity title	Sponsor name and number	Content / pedagogy / language	Hours	Language acq. hours

Total hours: 0 of 100 · Language acquisition: 0 (goal: )

What you type stays on this device only.

6. Other required trainings (one-time or yearly)

Mandated reporter (child abuse identification, about two hours): the Second Update is due by November 17, 2026 for all educators and school staff who are mandated reporters. If you took the training between Nov 1, 2022 and Aug 31, 2025, you may take a 15-minute addendum with the same provider. See Rights and responsibilities.
DASA: a workshop of at least six clock hours for certification.
School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE): two clock hours, for all certificate applicants.
Needs of children with autism: for Students with Disabilities, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Blind and Visually Impaired, and Speech and Language Disabilities certificate applicants.
Fingerprinting: for all certification applicants and people seeking school employment.
Data privacy and security awareness: every year, from your district, for staff who have access to students' personal information (8 NYCRR §121.7).

Workshops required for certification are separate from CTLE hours; ask the provider whether a workshop also awards CTLE. NYSED Certification Start to Finish · Workshops required for certification (checked Nov 7, 2026). Full details and approved provider lists: Professional development · required workshops. Every required workshop and yearly training in one place, with optional technology and AI workshops and a private checklist: Workshops and trainings.

Sources

NYSED: Certification Start to Finish (registration and CTLE summary) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: Initial Certificate (valid five years) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: Professional Certificate (requirements to move from Initial to Professional) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: Registration and CTLE chart (who must register, who must complete CTLE) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: CTLE the rule text (8 NYCRR §80-6.3) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
8 NYCRR §80-6.1, Definitions, including "practicing" (Justia copy of the regulation) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
8 NYCRR §80-6.2, Registration requirements (Justia copy of the regulation) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
8 NYCRR §80-6.3, CTLE requirements (Justia copy of the regulation) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: List of approved CTLE sponsors (searchable table) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: CTLE Sponsor Information (who can be a sponsor; what sponsors must give you) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: Sample CTLE record-keeping form, do not submit (PDF) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: CTLE Certificate of Completion form, sample (PDF) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED TEACH Online Services sign-in (through NY.gov) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSUT: Professional Learning and CTLE (union-run courses; fees vary) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: Child Abuse Identification and Reporting (Mandated Reporter) Workshop (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: Re-registration (window, reminders, conditional registration, late fee not enforced for now) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: Number of CTLE clock hours (20 per practicing year) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: Workshops required for certification (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: School Violence Prevention and Intervention (two clock hours) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED: Needs of children with autism (special education certificates) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
NYSED OSPRA: Fingerprinting (checked Nov 7, 2026)

Teacher Center · written for New York State teachers · last checked Nov 7, 2026. Robert Frost Middle School and Deer Park UFSD do not publish every local procedure online, so always confirm local steps with your building.